Dear Rome,
I found myself thinking of you recently in the context of that age-old saying “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
It seems straightforward but it is in fact difficult to say for certain if that advice is good or bad, given how staggeringly conditional it is. After all, which Romans, exactly, are we talking about?
Should we do as Pope Francis does? Sophia Loren? Or are we talking about Caligula or that Mussolini fellow?
It reminds me of another saying: The devil is in the details.
Here in the city that Bienville built, we have a saying of our own that seems clear on face value but which is similarly unclear for some to navigate: “If you love New Orleans, it will love you back.”
New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees popularized that particular pearl. Crucially, he also lives by it, through his unofficial role as civic ambassador, through his philanthropic pursuits, through his pickleball investments.
Clearly, he understands that merely saying you love a place is one thing. Backing it up with action and – more importantly – sincerity is another altogether.
Now, we in New Orleans are admittedly easily flattered. Our desire for universal adulation borders at times on needy. But we are not desperate. Sadly, not everybody has quite as firm a grasp on the concept as does St. Drew.
To wit: A story earlier this year in The Times-Picayune reported that Louisiana DEQ Secretary Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto – an Indianapolis native who relocated to Baton Rouge all of a year earlier – changed the spelling of her last name, dropping the final “o” and replacing it with “eaux,” a la Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, et al.
I know what you are thinking: “Eaux neaux she didn’t.”
Indeed, she did.
“I am all in,” she told a reporter at the time. “I love Louisiana!”
What Giacometto fails to understand is that pandering is not love. Also that Louisianians are not stupid.
We may be famously forgiving when it comes to our politicians, but even we draw the line at being patronized to.
To be clear, any objections to her purely performative display of cultural appropriation have nothing to do with Giacometto’s politics. That’s a whole other kettle of crappie, and, thus, a topic for another day.
Neither does it have anything to do with her status as a newcomer. New Orleans has shown time and again its willingness to adopt outsiders as its own. Just ask Hoda Kotb, Steve Gleason, John Goodman, Jennifer Coolidge and Emeril Lagasse.
But there is a key thing to remember here: Nobody on that list simply declared themselves locals. That is an earned thing, and it is up to the city’s denizens to collectively award it.
One might ask: What about former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow? In his final on-field appearance at Tiger Stadium, he famously wore a jersey with his name “Burreaux.” Is that not the same?
No, actually. He wore it only for pre-game warmups – not during regulation – as a one-time gesture of gratitude.
“This place means so much to me,” he explained later. “Everyone has been so great. I never could have dreamed of this reception from the people of Louisiana to an Ohio kid.”
See what he did there? He paid tribute with sincerity and affection while at the same time acknowledging his own roots outside the state.
That attitude – and the national title he brought to Death Valley – so endeared him to fans that “Burreaux” jerseys are even today not uncommon among the purple-and-gold faithful.
He loves Louisiana, and he demonstrated it with earnestness. That’s all it takes.
Similarly, when the Philadelphia Eagles’ team plane landed in town ahead of the Super Bowl last February, a pilot waved a “Geaux Birds” flag from the cockpit window. Nobody complained.
That’s because, again, it was a temporary display acknowledging local culture while also showing Philly pride. Well played.
Maybe Giacometto will one day earn the affections of locals to the point we will all be wearing Giacometteaux jerseys or waving “Geaux Giacommetaux” flags. Until that time arrives, someone with a little more understanding of local culture appears to have explained things to her; the DEQ website appears to have since been scrubbed of that patronizing spelling.
One day, some good might come of the whole Giacometteaux affair. Ideally, it will become a learning moment for others tempted to follow her lead.
In that case, they should remember a new saying:
When in doubt, just say “neaux.”
Insincerely yours,
New Orleans
Ask Mike Have a question or a thought to share about New Orleans etiquette or tradition? I’d love to hear it. Email it to playbook@myneworleans.com
